Even though there has been progress in the field of cancer detection, there still remains a need in the art for the identification of new genetic markers for a variety of cancers that can be easily used in clinical applications. To date, there are relatively few options available for predicting the risk of developing cancer.
A test for predicting the risk of developing lung cancer would be particularly useful. Lung cancer is an enormous public health problem, with smoking as the number one risk factor, with 44.5 million people in the United States (20.9% of the population), and over 1.3 billion people in the world currently smoking. Unfortunately, smoking cessation does not eliminate a person's risk for developing lung cancer. Compared to never smokers, former smokers have a 6.6-fold increase in relative lung cancer risk for up to 30 years after smoking cessation (95% Confidence Interval=5.0-8.7). Screening programs have been initiated in these populations: The Early Lung Cancer Action Project (ELCAP) found that a chest computed tomography (C T) scan is three times more sensitive in detecting early-stage lung cancer than a chest X-ray in “high-risk” populations (2.4% versus 0.7%), and may improve survival rates. There remains considerable controversy over the use of lung CT scans as a global screening approach for lung cancer however, due to the expense (estimated cost 2 billion dollars yearly in the US alone) and the very low yield of yearly cancer detection (1.2%). A genetic marker capable of determining a smoker's risk of developing lung cancer would be a particularly useful test that could be used in conjunction with screening programs to diagnose lung cancer at an earlier stage, and thus reduce mortality of this devastating disease.
Accordingly, the identification of genetic markers for cancer is particularly relevant to improving prognosis, diagnosis, and treatment of the disease. As such, there is need in the art to identify alternative genetic markers that can be quickly, easily, and safely detected. Such markers may be used to identify those individuals who would benefit from screening or intervention.